Sunday, July 4, 1976

Toyota overcame the lost of five
players because of six personal fouls and stunned Crispa in Game 1 of
the 1976 PBA All-Filipino Conference finals. The Comets took the
series opener despite trailing by 12 points in the third quarter.

Toyota wins, 119 to 115

By Ding Marcelo

Bulletin Today

Published Monday July 5, 1976

Toyota lost five men on fouls and then
while the jampacked crowd gasped in intense anticipation, a pair of
over-the-hill campaigners delivered the bombs that gave the Comets a
119-115 victory over the Crispa Redmanizers and a 1-0 lead in their
best-of-five series for the All-Filipino PBA conference championship
at the Araneta Coliseum.

Durable Joaquin Rojas, Jr., in the
twilight of a storied career, and Rolando Marcelo, vainly seeking the
form that catapulted him into prominence many years ago, scored
back-to-back hits when it most mattered, putting Toyota ahead,
119-113, and on top of their arch-rivals whom they have now beaten
three straight times.

Half of the story was carved on the
foul throw line where Crispa ignominiously missed six shots in the
last five minutes, four of them by the usually unerring Fortunato Co,
and the star of the banned film “Uhaw...” will never probably
lived down those misses.

Friday, July 2, 1976

Philip Cezar was suspended for the first three games of the best-of-five series for the 1976 PBA All-Filipino title for punching Ramon Fernandez in the Crispa-Toyota semifinal game.

Cezar gets 3-game ban, P500-fine

Bulletin TodayPublished Saturday July 3, 1976

Crispa ace center Philip Cezar was suspended for three playing days and fined P500 yesterday as the Philippine Basketball Association, acting in consultation with the Games and Amusements Board, acted swiftly on the punching incident involving Cezar and Comet Ramon Fernandez during the other night’s Crispa-Toyota game.

The PBA, through commissioner Leo Prieto, meted out the punishment after watching the video tape of the game and hearing the sides of the two players who confronted each other at the commissioner’s office.

Also present were representatives from the GAB.

The suspension means Cezar will not be able to play for his team in the first three games of the best-of-five series for the All-Filipino PBA championship which begins tomorrow.

Thursday, July 1, 1976

Philip Cezar’s ejection for punching Ramon Fernandez marred Toyota’s win over Crispa in the final semifinal round game before their best-of-five showdown for the championship of the 1976 PBA All-Filipino Conference.Toyota five nips Crispa, 103-101By Ding MarceloBulletin TodayPublished Friday July 2, 1976Toyota pulled Crispa down to earth last night, winning 103-101, but more importantly, the Comets may have gotten ahead of the favored Redmanizers in the betting odds after Crispa’s premier center Philip Cezar was ejected for throwing a punch at Ramon Fernandez.Cezar, who drew a four-month suspension also for hitting Fernandez during the All-Philippine Championship, faces a possible three-game suspension and a fine of not less than P500 should he be proven guilty.Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner Leo Prieto will review the video tape of the incident this afternoon and then possibly call the persons involved to a confrontation before he metes out punishment.